ProgressVA Demands Virginia Legislators Quit ALEC

From our friends at Progress Virginia:

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Corporate sponsors quit ALEC; ProgressVA urges Virginia legislators to do the same

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods leave conservative group over controversial stands

To date, 3 major corporate sponsors of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have indicated they will not renew their memberships to the controversial conservative organization. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Kraft Foods, Inc. made the announcements in recent days amid mounting criticism over ALEC's backing of "Stand Your Ground" gun laws, which have been implicated in the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

ProgressVA is now urging Virginia legislators to terminate their ALEC memberships as well. These known ALEC members include: 

• Speaker William Howell, Member, ALEC Board of Directors
• Senator Stephen Martin, State Co-Chairman
• Delegate John Cosgrove, State Co-Chairman
• Senator Tommy Norment, Member, ALEC Telecommunications and Technology Task Force
• Delegate Barbara Comstock, Alternate, ALEC Telecommunications and Technology Task Force
• Delegate David Albo, Member, ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force

A recent ProgressVA report detailed the full effect of ALEC–which allows large corporations to write big-business friendly bills and helps legislators advance this legislation on the state level–on Virginia’s political system. At least 50 bills introduced in the General Assembly are directly traceable to ALEC and over $230,000 of taxpayer money has been spent sending legislators to ALEC junkets.

"The more we learn about ALEC and its detrimental effect on Virginia's public policy, the more obvious it becomes that there's no excuse for Virginia lawmakers and taxpayer dollars continued involvement in the organization," said Anna Scholl, ProgressVA Executive Director. "The fact that Coke, Pepsi and Kraft have left ALEC speaks volumes to how toxic the group has become. It's time for Virginia's ALEC members to follow suit."

For more information: 

•   ALEC Exposed: Who is writing Virginia’s laws? – www.progressva.org/alec